What's new in Internet Explorer 7?
* tabs
* feed reader
* better CSS support (including CSS2)
* security (phishing filter, protected mode in Vista)
Now that the first release candidate for Internet Explorer 7 has been released, the IE7 team decided to create a reference sheet, that includes most of the keyboard shortcuts and some tips for common tasks disabling the add-ons.* tabs
* feed reader
* better CSS support (including CSS2)
* security (phishing filter, protected mode in Vista)
One useful thing to know if you want to install the latest release is you don't have to uninstall a previous version of IE7. As usually, the download requires WGA (Windows Genuine Advantage).
Microsoft says it tried to provide a better support for standards, but it's difficult to do that without breaking many sites.
Paul Thurrott says in his review:
"Internet Explorer 7 RC1 is faster, more stable, and better looking than previous IE 7 betas, so it's a required update for any users who installed IE 7 Beta 3 or earlier. As for IE 6 users, I think it's both safe and prudent to migrate to IE 7 now: You'll be able to upgrade to the final version fairly effortlessly and the security enhancements and new functionality should win over even the most jaded. It's not a perfect browser, but IE 7 is hugely improved, and even in this prerelease version is worth considering. I don't think there's enough there to sway Firefox users quite yet--maybe IE 8?--but IE 7, even in RC1 garb, is looking good."
While it's a clear improvement over IE6, I would've liked the new version more if it didn't change the interface radically. The chrome takes too much space, it's less customizable and the buttons' order doesn't make too much sense. It will be interesting to see how many IE6 users will migrate to Firefox or Opera.
Useful links:
Download IE7 RC 1 (Windows XP SP2, Windows XP Professional x64, Windows Server 2003)
All the public versions of IE7 (FileHippo)